Monday, July 28, 2008

I've been away the past few days (moving apartments here in MTL) and haven't had a chance to draw anything new, so I thought it might be fun to post two sketches from the archives so to speak... that is, from the huge store of drawings/sketches on my computer (13 gigs and counting). Sometimes I scan drawings like these in because I have them in mind for "finished" illustrations; other times I just scan them in cos I like them and want to "immortalize" them by putting them on my computer. This is in itself an interesting impulse: why should we feel that somehow an artwork is MORE enduring because it can be reproduced digitally, especially since the process of scanning something into a computer of course renders a real object less real. But that's exactly what makes that object more flexible and therefore capable of - theoretically at least (barring a system crash) - being reproduced forever... Personally, I've never been big on carrying around a portfolio full of precious one-offs. But I digress... (sorry; this is bound to happen in this blog! You get something for everyone - those that like to read and those that like to look :) Speaking of looking: These 2 sketches are very different in tone and feel (also different media used: brush vs. ball point pen) but I equally like looking at them for different reasons. Hope you do too!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I like this one because a) it's a rare instance when I use scratch-like dots and dashes around the figure... which I think works in this case to accentuate the crustiness of this ol' man, and b) the word balloon is literally crowding into his face. I like that too - works with the awkward physicality of this old man... who is kinda frail yet also tough, like a dry old tree trunk rising out of the black mess of ink that is the ground...

Hi - welcome to my blog! One of the main functions of this blog is to showcase my new sketches. I will post new sketches and drawings as often as I can, so please check back often...

Lately, I've been reading the excellent book Masters of American Comics (Yale University Press, 2005). It's the catalogue to an exhibit of the same name put on by the Hammer Museum and The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in 2005... I remember reading about the exhibit in a magazine a few years ago, but somehow never got around to looking through the book itself (I live too far to see the actual exhibit!). It's a great blend of art and essays about art - John Carlin's comprehensive "Art History of Twentieth-Century American Comic Strips and Books" is particularly impressive. Anyway, I've been newly inspired by this dip into Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman and others to sketch a few comic-y stuff myself... enjoy!

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The Urban Sketchers Manifesto (from the USK blog)

1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation. 2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel. 3. Our drawings are a record of time and place. 4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness. 5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles. 6. We support each other and draw together. 7. We share our drawings online. 8.We show the world, one drawing at a time.